Lauren Laverne back on Desert Island Disks after cancer 'caught early'

TV and radio host Lauren Laverne will resume her BBC presenting duties this month, after taking time off air following her cancer diagnosis.

The BBC has confirmed she will be recording new episodes of Desert Island Discs and appearing on The One Show, where she is one of the co-presenters, in the next few weeks.

She is expected to resume her BBC Radio 6 Music breakfast show in the new year.

Laverne, 46, revealed in August that the cancer had been ‘caught early and unexpectedly during a screening test’ and that she was ‘expected to make a full recovery’.

At the time, she had written a post on Instagram, saying she was in hospital, praising the ‘incredible skill and kindness’ of the medical teams helping her.

She had also thanked colleagues on her respective BBC shows for their ‘support’ and ‘for giving me the time off that I need to get better’.

It is understood her last appearance on BBC1’s The One Show was on August 13 and she last presented her 6 Music show on 15 August.

Desert Island Discs was on a break at the time she revealed news of her diagnosis, but since the show returned in September it has been airing old episodes.

There will be a new episode of the Radio 4 show on December 1st with comedian Mark Steel, which was already recorded before Laverne took time off.

But it is understood she will be recording Christmas episodes of the show with guests over the next few weeks.

A BBC spokesman said: ‘We’re delighted to welcome Lauren back to the studio this month for The One Show and Desert Island Discs, with new episodes airing on Radio 4 from 1 December, and we look forward to welcoming Lauren back to BBC Radio 6 Music in the new year.’

Laverne was brought on to Desert Island Discs in 2018 as cover for then host Kirsty Young, who was dealing with her own health issues at the time. Laverne later became the permanent host.